Abhijeet Gill

Hamilton residents have experienced multiple significant property tax increases while the costs of housing, groceries, utilities, and other essentials have risen sharply. I believe Hamilton City Hall must acknowledge that residents have financial limits. Increasing taxes should not be the default response to every budget challenge.

As your councillor, I will advocate for a more disciplined approach to municipal spending by:

• Scrutinizing budget requests
• Questioning unnecessary or duplicative spending
• Demanding actual measurable results from the city programs
• Using the Auditor General's value-for-money work
• Looking for efficiencies before asking taxpayers for more money

While a single councillor cannot independently set or change the tax rate, a councillor can propose necessary changes and build consensus to redirect and reduce spending.

My objective is to prevent unnecessary tax increases and maintain fiscal responsibility while safeguarding essential services such as roads, emergency services, transit, parks, and recreation.

Responsible spending involves setting clear priorities and ensuring that every tax dollar is used efficiently, rather than making reductions without purpose.

Roads and infrastructure represent fundamental responsibilities of municipal government. Ward 9 residents should expect roads, sidewalks, intersections, street lighting, and drainage infrastructure that are safe, reliable, and properly maintained.

I support:

• A proactive maintenance strategy
• More timely attention to deteriorating roads and sidewalks
• Improved coordination of construction projects, and data-driven and resident-focused road safety improvements at high-risk intersections, speeding hotspots, and school zones

Hamilton’s 2026 budget allocates over $150 million for road rehabilitation, growth-related infrastructure, and transportation, including $106.1 million specifically for renewing and replacing existing roads and sidewalks. I will advocate to ensure that Ward 9 receives equitable investment and that expanding neighborhoods are not delayed in receiving essential infrastructure.

Growth must be coordinated with infrastructure planning. The objective is to address issues proactively and invest in minor concerns before they escalate into costly problems.

Transparency extends beyond simply publishing documents online. Residents should understand what decisions are being made, their significance, associated costs, responsible parties, and how to provide input prior to finalization.

Accessible representation requires active engagement. A councillor’s office should provide clear channels for residents to communicate, receive updates on their concerns, and stay informed about council proceedings without needing to monitor every committee agenda.

While I cannot promise agreement with every resident on every issue, I commit to listening, explaining my position, making my reasoning transparent, and providing follow-up. Accountability requires that residents evaluate both my campaign statements and my actions as a councillor.

What I will push for:

• Provide regular updates for Ward 9 that summarize major council decisions, local project timelines, important spending decisions and unresolved community issues in plain language.
• Explain my votes on significant or controversial matters so residents know the reasoning behind the position I took.
• Create recurring opportunities for residents to speak with me through community meetings, office hours and outreach across the ward.
• Run constituent casework with clear acknowledgement and status follow-up so residents are not left wondering whether their concern disappeared into the system.

The GFL odour issue is not merely a concern raised by residents; I have personally experienced its impact. I understand the frustration when external factors diminish the enjoyment of one’s home and neighbourhood. Residents should not have to navigate multiple agencies to obtain information.

As councillor, I will push for independent soil testing at appropriate locations around the facility, beginning with city-owned lands and exploring voluntary testing on nearby private properties if necessary.

I will also push for clear public reporting of air quality results, closer review of groundwater, surface-water and leachate monitoring, and stronger enforcement of the city’s own requirements where it has authority.

I believe it is important to be transparent about the limitations of a councillor’s authority. GFL operates under provincial environmental approvals, so a councillor cannot unilaterally close the facility. However, this does not mean the status quo should be accepted. If independent evidence or the facility’s compliance record justifies stronger provincial action, including suspension, revocation, or closure, I will advocate for such measures.

Our approach must be data-driven rather than slogan-driven. Residents require concrete action, including testing, monitoring, documented trends, and clear evidence to support regulatory intervention. My commitment is to ensure independent testing, transparent publication of results, enforcement of regulations, and escalation when warranted by evidence. Ward 9 deserves a plan grounded in facts and measurable outcomes, not merely campaign promises.

All residents deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods, and public spaces. In 2025, Ward 9 recorded 1,017 property crimes and 316 violent crimes, both exceeding the respective 2020-2024 five-year averages of 860.8 and 244.

As councillor, I will advocate for safer public spaces, improved lighting and maintenance, stronger by-law enforcement where necessary, neighbourhood crime prevention initiatives, and responsible investments in policing linked to measurable outcomes. I will also support evidence-based youth and community programs that help reduce crime risk proactively.

Community safety requires addressing concerns, not merely acknowledging them. I will advocate for better coordination between city services and public safety agencies to identify recurring issues earlier and resolve them more effectively.

My objective is to prevent crime wherever possible, strengthen enforcement, and make Ward 9 a safer place to live, raise a family, and age with confidence.

Residents in Ward 9 require practical transportation options to traverse the escarpment and connect with the broader Hamilton area. A transit system is effective only when routes, frequency, transfers, and stop accessibility align with residents’ actual travel needs. As the population increases, Ward 9 requires strong advocacy.

I support better East-West connectivity, stronger links from Upper Stoney Creek to major destinations, reliable evening and weekend services and sensible integration with GO transit and future transit hubs.

Mobility encompasses more than bus service. The accessibility of walking routes to transit stops, safe crossings, accessible sidewalks, functional trails, and well-designed transfer points all influence whether a trip is feasible for seniors, students, parents, or individuals with disabilities.

What I will push for:

• Advocate for Ward 9 service levels and route connections that reflect actual travel patterns, including stronger east-west movement and access to major destinations.
• Press for reliability and service quality reporting that residents can understand, including whether promised improvements are being delivered.
• Improve the first and last part of a transit trip through safer crossings, accessible sidewalks, better stop amenities such as shelters and stronger connection to trails and regional transit.

Parks, recreation facilities, and community spaces are essential to the quality of life in any neighborhood. As Ward 9 continues to develop, residents should not experience prolonged delays in accessing the parks, recreation opportunities, and gathering spaces that foster a sense of community.

I will advocate for capital planning that considers growth, existing service gaps, the condition of current facilities, and equitable access. The objective is to build new amenities where needed while maintaining those residents already depend on.

I also seek to involve residents early in the planning process, enabling them to shape projects before key decisions are finalized. Community input should visibly influence design, programming, priorities, and project timelines.

What I will push for:

• Fight for Ward 9’s fair share of parkland, recreation and community space investment as population and development increase.
• Protect maintenance of existing playgrounds, sports fields, trails and recreation facilities so new projects do not come at the expense of basic upkeep.
• Build meaningful resident engagement into park and recreation planning early, with clear reporting on what was heard and how it affected the final decision.

A strong community provides opportunities for individuals at every stage of life. I aim to expand access to recreation, social programming, and community opportunities for both youth and seniors in Ward 9, enabling residents to remain active, build connections, and participate in community life.

For youth, I will advocate for more accessible sports, drop-in recreation, leadership opportunities and skill-based programming, while also supporting partnerships that connect young people with volunteering, training and community involvement.

For seniors, I will support more local fitness, social, and recreational programming, along with opportunities that help reduce isolation and keep older adults connected to their neighbourhoods.

As Ward 9 grows, I will advocate for recreation planning that reflects demographic changes and optimizes the use of existing community spaces. Regardless of age, all residents should have meaningful opportunities to remain active, connect with others, and feel engaged in their community.

What I will push for:

• More local youth programming including sports, drop-in activities, leadership opportunities and skills-based programs that are accessible and close to home.
• More senior recreation and social opportunities including fitness, wellness, social activities and programming that helps reduce isolation and keeps older adults connected.
• Resident-led programming priorities by regularly asking youth, parents, seniors and caregivers what programs are missing, what is working and where the City should focus future recreation investment.